Wrench.



C. E. SOMERS.

WRENCH.

APPLIGATION FILED EEB.21,1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON E. SOMERS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRDTORAYMOND IVES BLAKESLEE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON E. SOMERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches, and it has for its object to providean improved device or'implement of this character which will be superiorin point of inexpensiveness and durability of construction, positivenessof operation, simplicity and convenience in use and manipulation, andgeneral serviceability and efficiency. The invention relates to thatclass of wrenches in which are provided a plurality of relativelymovable jaws or heads, combined with a handle member or operating armand adjusting means for relatively moving the jaws or heads.

According to the invention, I provide leverage means which cooperateswith the adjusting means for causing a particularly efficient grip ofthe jaws or heads upon or with relation to the work, such as a nut,bolt, pipe or other device. I am aware that such leverage means has beenheretofore devised; but my improvement is, in this respect, at variancewith the prior art, in that such leverage means is embodied in orclosely associated with the handle member or operating arm of thewrench, whereby the application of force to the work through the wrenchis accompanied by the imposition of the effect of the leverage meansupon the work. I furthermore combine the adjusting means with the handlemember or operating arm, or a portion thereof, so that said ad ustingmeans may be actuated through the agency of the foregoing member or arm.

A wrench organized in general as above set forth, and having furtherspecific details of construction and combination of parts and features,all as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, and pointed out inclaims, meets the requirements initially here in referred to, andconstitutes the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a longitudinal rear face view of a wrenchembodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side face view of thesame, partly 'broken away and partly in section for fullness ofillustration; and, Fig. 3 is a detail transverse Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed February 21, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Serial No. 417,202.

sectional view of the same, upon an enlarged scale, taken upon the line3-3, Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, A and B designate,respectively, wrench jaws or heads which are relatively movable, and Cdesignates adjusting means for relatively moving the same.

D designates an operating arm or handle member for applying the wrenchjaws A and B to the work in use of the wrench; E designating the workwhich is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 as consisting of a pipe.

F designates leverage means which is embodied in or combined with theoperating arm or handle member D and which cooperates with the adjustingmeans C for effecting the grip of the wrench jaws upon the work.

A particular form of construction, provision, combination, associationand relative arrangement of parts, members and features of a wrenchembodying the invention, is as follows The wrench jaw A is formed upon abar 4, and the wrench jaw B is formed upon a bar 5, which bars extend inparallel relation, so that the jaws 6 and 7 which are the jaws proper ofthe parts A and B, are arranged in opposed parallel relation, and may becaused to relatively approach or separate by relatively moving the bars4 and 5 through the agency of the adjusting means C. The forward orouter end portion of the bar 5, adjacent to the jaw 7 is provided with acollar or keeper 8 which embraces the bar 4, so that said bars may havefree relative play. The handle member D comprises a grip 9, and a head10 at the forward end thereof; which said head fits between cheeks 11which are formed upon the rearward end portion of the bar 4. The handlemember D is pivotally connected with the bar 4 by means of a pin 12which passes through the head 10 and the cheeks 11; whereby the handlemember D may be pivotally swung in a longitudinal plane of the wrenchpassing transversely through the bars 4 and 5 of the wrench jaws A andB. A cooperating curvature of the head 10 and the rearward end portionof the bar 4, as at 13, is provided; and said curved portions terminatein fiat portions 14 and 15; whereby the said parts may bear one upon theother in limited play, said flat portions constituting stop means G. Theplay of the handle member D in the opposite direction is limited by itsengagement with the bar 5 when said handle member lies within thegeneral longitudinalplane of the wrench. The play allowed the handlemember D permits of its pivotal'deflection from said plane, outward ofthe plane of the rear face of the wrench, in slight angularity. The bar5 is longitudinally channeled. from a point adjacent to the jaw 7 to itsrearward end portion, as at 16, and the forward end portion of thehandle member D, or of the grip 9 thereof, lies within said channel. 9The adjusting means G comprise a segmental threaded portion 17 formedupon the bar 5 within the channel 16 and throughout the extent thereof;and a similarly threaded cylindrical head 18 coacting with said threadedportion 17 and traversing the channel 16 in the relative movement of thebars 1 and 5; with which is combined an operating shaft 19 extendinglongitudinally through the handle member D, or the major portionthereof, in rotative mounting, said shaft being pivotally connected atits forward end with the threaded head 18, and being fiXed in or to ahandle portion or head 20 at its rearward end. Said handle portion orhead preferably conforms to and completes the structure of the entirehandle member. The pivotal connection of the shaft 19 with the threadedhead 18 may consist of a pin 21 passing through a transverse slot 22formed in the shaft 19, and slightly elongated longitudinally of theshaft 19. The rearward end portion of the threaded head 18 is providedwith a chamber 23 within which the forward end portion of the shaft 19has free play in the pivotal movement of said shaft with the handlemember D. The head 10 of the handle member D projects forwardly of themajor portion of the handle member; and the remaining forward endportion of the handle member is formed as a shoulder 24. which may bearagainst the threaded head 18 of the adjusting means C, at the rearwardend of the same, such shoulder together with the remaining portions ofthe handle member D constituting the leverage means F, and acting uponthe work through the ad justing means 0, when operative pressure isbrought to bear upon the handle member.

To supplement the function of the collar or keeper 8 in maintainingworking alinement of the bars 4 and 5, and particularly to counteractthe leverage of the handle member D upon the bar 5 in its tendency tothrow the bars 4 and 5 out of alinement, I provide a keeper or yoke 25which embraces the bar 5, the rearward end portion of the bar 4Eincluding the cheeks 11, and forward end portion of the handle member D;said keeper being held in place by the pin 12 and by a pin 26 whichpasses through the same and through the rearward end portion of the bar4:. The keeper 25 is thus connected with the handle member D and withthe bar 1; whereas the keeper 8 is connected with the bar 5.

The operation, method of use and advantages of the improvementsconstituting the invention will readily be understood from the foregoingdescription taken in" connection with the accompanied drawings and thefollowing statement:To fit the jaws 6 and 7 to the work, or to obtain asubstantial fit, the handle portion or head 20 is rotated until the saidjaws fully grip the work; or, with the handle member D swung rearwardly,a light contact, more or less, of the jaws upon the work is efiected.The handle member is then gripped firmly and swung in the directiondenoted by the arrow adjacent to the rearward end of the handle memberin Fig. 2. This causes the wrench to actuate the work E, andsimultaneously brings the leverage means F into play, the head orshoulder 24 being brought to bear firmly against the threaded head 18 ofthe adjusting means 0 and urging the bar 5 and head 7 thereof toward thework in relative movement of the jaws 6 and 7, giving a 5 final pinchupon the work. To actuate the work in the opposite direction, with thebenefit of the effect of the leverage means, the wrench is simplyreversed in position so that the direction of swing of the handle 0member is opposite to that denoted by the arrow referred to. The keepers8 and 25 maintain the jaws A and B in proper working relation, theadjacent faces of the bars 4; and 5 having a close sliding fit. Theflatpor- 105 tions 14 and 15 of the head 10 and the adjacent end portionof the bar 4 form an eificient stop means G limiting the swing of thehandle member in one direct-ion. The adjustment of the threaded head 18is conveniently ef- 1'10 fected by twisting the head 20 upon the shaft19 with the fingers of one hand while grasping the handle portion D withthe other hand; and the movement of the jaw B is thus effected in apositive and con- 115 venient manner. The working parts of the adjustingmeans are all housed and protected from injury, thus adding life to thewrench and obviating repair and readjustment. The provision of leveragemeans act- 120 ing in connection with and through the adjusting meansfor the wrench jaws, and embodying the handle member of the wrench,enables the application of an effective final bite or pinch of the jawsupon the work in 12,5 the ordinary manipulation of the tool.

In conclusion, I do not-desire to be understood as limiting myself tothe specific provision, construction, combination, association andrelative arrangement of parts, members 1,3,0

and features; but reserve the right to vary the same in adapting theimprovements to varying conditions of use, without departing from thespirit of the invention or the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A wrench comprising relatively movable jaws, a pivoted handle member;and adjusting means for the jaws comprising coengaging threaded portionsand a shaft rotative in the handle member, said shaft being pivotallyconnected with one of said threaded portions.

2. A wrench, comprising relatively movable jaws, a pivoted handlemember; and adjusting means for the jaws embodying a shaft rotative inthe handle member and pivotally connected with the remaining portion ofthe adjusting means.

3. A wrench, comprising relatively movable jaws, a pivoted handlemember; and adjusting means for the jaws comprising coengaging portions,and a rotative shaft pivotally connected with one of said co-engagingportions.

4. A wrench, comprising relatively movable jaws, a pivoted handlemember; and adjusting means for the jaws comprising coengaging threadedportions, and a shaft rotative in the handle member, said shaft beingpivotally connected with one of said threaded portions at one end andprovided with a head at the other end forming a portion of the handlemember.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLINTON E. SOMERS.

Witnesses:

CAL. F. HUNTER, F. A. MANSFIELD.

